Innehållsförteckning för Annual 2021 från Great Walks

NOONGAR Dreaming tells how during the Nyitting (the ‘cold time’, most likely the end of the last glacial maximum) the Waugal rose from Mount Eliza at the eastern end of the Kings Park escarpment and formed the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan) and Djarlgarro Beeliar (Canning) rivers. As the Waugal slithered across the landscape it created the sand dunes and river courses of the south-west corner of Western Australia, and it now lies along its length in the form of the Darling escarpment. The Bibbulmun Track is a world class walking trail that runs along the Darling escarpment from Kalamunda in the north to D’Entrecasteaux in the south, before heading east along the south coast of WA to Albany, a distance of just over 1000km, guided by way markers depicting the Waugal.…

Hedonistic Hiking – destination Europe Hedonistic Hiking specialises in small group escorted hiking holidays in some of the most beautiful parts of Europe, with a touch of luxury thrown in. The main destination is Italy, but several tours cross over into neighbouring France, Austria and Slovenia. The tours are as much about gourmet food and fine wines as they are about the hiking. Lunch on most days is a delicious al fresco picnic, while restaurant dinners showcase the best regional cuisine and wines. Many itineraries include visits to cheesemakers, wine growers or truffle hunters and some also feature cooking classes. The tours are fully-inclusive of accommodation in hand-picked hotels, all meals with fabulous wines, cultural excursions, transfers and any additional activities. The itineraries are graded so there is a holiday…

Meteora, Greece Scott Wolgamot, Camera: iPhone 5 Scott: “Meteora, Greece. Although you can ride a bus to many of the sites, it is far better to spend a day, or more, hiking the area to gain an appreciation of the difficulties they encountered in the quest for isolation.” Belgrave Heights, Vic Inna Epshtein, Upwey, Vic Camera: Sony A7 Mark 3 Inna: “This photo was taken at Birdsland Reserve in Belgrave Heights on a beautiful foggy morning. There are dogs, kids and wheelchair-friendly access for a walk around the lake. During lockdowns when we were only allowed to travel within a 5km radius from our house. It was blessing to have such a natural place to escape so close. I loved the atmosphere and pureness of mother nature.” Glass House Mountains,…

SOL Emergency Bivvy with Rescue Whistle and Tinder Cord The lightweight bivvy is a compact emergency blanket that weighs only 108g, fits easily in any backpack and is ready when the weather gets worse. The bivvy blanket reflects 90% of body heat back to you with the sealed seams and waterproof material. It traps warm air to prevent heat loss and keep out rain, wind and cold. The material is also ultra quiet and tear-resistant and will not shred to pieces if punctured. Included with the reflective bivvy is a tinder paracord drawstring for fire starting and a survival whistle to. Weight: 108g RRP: $44.95 Website: multisportimports.com.au SOL Flat Pack Bowl & Strainer Set Be ready for any campsite meal prep with the Flat Pack Bowls & Strainer Set. Each…

DEHYDRATING food is not for everyone. It helps if you have a keen interest in cooking. There are plenty of products on the market now for those who do not have the time or inclination. After wearing out a small 5-tray dehydrator we settled for an eleven-tray Sedona Express Dehydrator which is great for big quantities. Rawblend is the distributor for Sedona dehydrators and their website (rawblend.com.au) is another great e-resource for nutritious raw food ideas and innovative recipes for dehydrating. Menu planning, mostly involving dehydrated meals is challenging. It takes some trial and error to get it right. We are always changing and improving our menus to adjust to the type of hike, availability of food drops and keeping the food weight down to 500g per day for each…

WANTING to avoid potential hotel quarantine, I’ve kept my wanders within my home state for much of the past year. This has resulted in frequent trips to Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast, which begins just over an hour’s drive north of my Brisbane home. While the area boasts many spectacular walks – up volcanic plugs, along the coast, around headlands, through rainforest, to waterfalls, and more – I’ve been travelling there with my young dog … so the majority of my recent leg stretches have occurred on the excellent off-lead beaches. When my husband and I finally make plans to travel there without our pup, we’re excited to embrace a few walking locations that are off limits with a dog in tow. Coastal splendour Our first goal is the 10.8km return…

The Glass House Mountains, 1hr north of Brisbane, are famous for their craggy peaks that tower above the surrounding landscape. In fact, they are so significant they are listed on the Queensland and National Heritage Register as a landscape of national significance. The mountains are remnants of volcanic activity that occurred 25–27 million years ago. Millions of years of erosion has removed the surrounding exteriors of the volcanic cones and softer sandstone rocks, leaving the magnificent landscape features you see today. Bushwalking tracks lead through a variety of open forests to lookouts with panoramic views. You can walk around the base of Mount Tibrogargan to see its profile from many angles and to the top of Mount Ngungun for spectacular views of nearby peaks. The Mt Beerwah summit walk will…

A walk can be more than an accumulation of footsteps, more than stringing two locations together by foot. One of the best ways to get to this deeper experience is through story. That was my goal in writing The Bondi to Manly Walk Guidebook. Keeping the comfort of how to get from A to B but with more. I set out to weave together the many layers of a green city into one common thread and by doing so, transform a (very pretty) walk into a memorable experience. The Bondi to Manly Walk is an 80km route connecting two of Australia’s most iconic beaches and passing every bay, beach and headland along the way. The semi-urban walk passes through the glittering harbour city, over the Harbour Bridge and through Sydney…

THE original plan had been to hike out to Edmondson’s Hut, spend the night there and then do a day walk to Spion Kopje before heading back to our cars. When we heard the road between Watchbed Creek and Falls Creek Village would be closed for a bike race on our planned day of return, we decided an extra day in the mountains wouldn’t go astray and we’d be able to do a bit more exploring in this fabulous High Country region. There are a number of options to reach Spion Kopje’s summit. If you’re after a gut-busting toil, take the Spion Kopje Fire Track that climbs steeply out of Howmans Gap. Another option is the much longer circuitous route along the Black Possum Spur Track from the Bogong Power…

Red Rocks Heather Mcniece: “A hiker makes their way along the contorted layers of rock in Hamersley Gorge, Karijini National Park.” Bay of Fires, Tas Erika Smart: “Bay of Fires is such an appropriate name for this colourful part of Tasmania – fire in the sky and on the rocks.” On the beach Rachel Kneubuhler: “You can find all sorts of little treasures when you go for a walk on the beach.” Darwin sunset joy Sonya Bree: “A grandchild caught in the zen moment of yet another dazzling Top End sunset.” Kata Tjuta, NT Gavin Kellett: “Central Australia is such a special place. This image was when my daughters were just young, with an adventurous spirit.” The Red Cliffs Lisa Kerr: “Australia’s natural beauty has many colours that blend together…

I have eaten more burgers in the bush that I care to admit. A classic double-cheeseburger is my go-to meal after a big day, when I have hardly any time and I really just want something hearty, quick and satisfying. There are a few fundamental rules that I have found make burger cooking pretty hard to mess up and improve the flavour of the final product. 1. Use quality beef mince, go to your butcher and ask for an 80/20 mix, that means 80 per cent lean beef, 20 per cent fat. If you’re feeling extra fancy, ask them to use pork or bacon fat instead of beef fat. Also ask them to make it a medium grind. 2. If you want lots of beef, make more patties, don’t make…

I had big dreams once. I was going to fly (yes, fly) to Spain (on the other side of the world) and hike the GR11, an 840km route from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean across the Pyrenees with all its glorious mountains, lakes and villages. I’d already collected maps and guidebook. It was on! Then it was off. It feels like a lifetime since the possibility of such exciting plans was relatively commonplace but we walkers were made to roam. For me, it’s freedom and fresh air that I hold dear – both of which have been in short supply lately – but boy am I going to run free when this COVID drama is over. Having something to look forward to is a well known strategy for getting through…

THE other half is not what you’d call an avid hiker. It’s not that he’s adamantly averse to a stroll. Just that he has stringent criteria. He doesn’t do hills, headwinds or any hint of having to retrace his steps and he demands highlights because, heaven knows, there’s no hiking crime more heinous than humdrum. I’ve obviously hitched my pack to the toughest of crowds but I’m quietly confident that the coastal walk between the northern NSW towns of Byron Bay and Ballina with the lure of whales and the promise of a pub will win him over. We set off from Byron Surf Club, a stone’s throw from town centre, the path hugging the dunes behind Main Beach and the sparse tree-line sharing glimpses of glittering ocean beyond. From…

THE first person to successfully swim the shark infested waters off the Tasman Peninsula was a bushranger named Martin Cash to escape the terrors of Port Arthur in 1840. Back then the penal colony was surrounded by high walls, armed guards, impenetrable bush, impossibly high sea cliffs and those uninviting waters, all making it escape proof. Well, almost. I was introduced to Martin Cash by my Life’s An Adventure guide Danny as we began our Three Capes walk. Danny’s a local and knowing a whole lot about the state, loves telling stories about the characters who add so much colour to Tassie’s history. Our Three Capes walk started off with a lovely bus ride from Hobart to the start of the walk in Tasman NP on the peninsula. This place…

A fuming mum has divided opinion on the internet after claiming people who snore should be banned from busy campsites. The mum made the claim after she said she was unable to sleep due to the loud fellow camper set up a few tents away. Complaining on the Mumsnet website, she unleashed on the noisy sleeper. “Having finally managed to get to sleep on our mysteriously but persistently deflating air mattress, someone in the field next door wakes me up making a noise like a food processor being turned on and off,” she wrote. “I have young kids in the tent with me and older kids in the tent text door so I can’t wear ear plugs. It’s a family campsite so it’s not just me who won’t be able…

WORDS_ JOELLE GLASS WARRUMBUNGLE National Park near Coonabarabran in western NSW is Australia’s only Dark Sky Park, making it the perfect spot for stargazing, amateur astronomy and camping under the starriest of skies. And during the day it’s a bushwalker’s paradise. The park’s spectacular scenery is made up of domes, plugs, spires and sharp ridges sticking out of the hilly landscape. Volcanic activity stopped about 13 million years ago and erosion exposed some weirdly shaped formations, including the narrow and regularly photographed highlight, The Breadknife. We walked two trails: the Belougery Split Rock Circuit and part of the Pincham Trail, which includes the famous Breadknife and Grand High Tops. Belougery Split Rock The four-hour Belougery Split Rock Circuit comes highly recommended as an introductory walk. Belougery comes from the property…